12:38, 16-Feb-2018
'Chun Wan': CCTV Spring Festival Gala attracts more than a billion viewers
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Thanks for joining us at Global Watch, on this first day of the Chinese New Year. Big celebrations for the Chinese Spring Festival are taking place around the globe. The Spring Festival Gala broadcast by China Central Television, also known as "Chun Wan", accompanied billions of Chinese last night as they counted down to the year of the dog.
The most watched TV program in history. Watching the CCTV Spring Festival Gala has become a tradition for Chinese.
The gala features singing, dancing, comedy and magic. A host of Chinese and foreign stars take part in the four-and-a-half hour programme.
Some programs bring you closer to Chinese traditional culture. Some will bring back memories of 20 years ago.
And some will make you look forward. The show is broadcast not only from the indoor studio, but also from four outdoor stages across China.
The gala made its debut in 1983, and quickly become the country's longest-running variety show.